Saturday, July 27, 2013

Heaven and hell

"Pope Francis' decision to shun a major security detail for his visit to Brazil exemplifies his view of what the Roman Catholic Church should be doing: Go out into the streets. Spread the faith. Recapture the dynamism that other denominations have been using to snap up souls.

Upon his arrival in Rio de Janeiro this week, that philosophy helped produce a defining vignette of his young papacy: The pope rolling down the window to touch the adoring crowds who surrounded his Fiat as his driver and bodyguards struggled to get him on his way."

".. the 76-year-old shunned the bullet-proof Pope-mobile normally used for pontifical visits, instead walking around the Varginha favela, a poverty-stricken community in an area of Rio nicknamed the "Gaza Strip" for its drug crime, violence and gang warfare..."

"Ceremonial prayer marking 1025th anniversary of Kievan Rus' Christianization
A ceremonial prayer celebrating the 1025th anniversary of Kievan Rus' Christianization is under way on St. Volodymyr's Hill in Kiev. The celebration is broadcast live on Ukrainian television.

Taking part in the prayer are Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Volodymyr of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, and nine heads of local Orthodox churches. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti, and Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic are also taking part in the event."

But the dominant characteristic of this event has been the unprecented absolutely, absurdly OTT security arrangements.

Those wishing to attend the outdoor service had to pass through four [!] security screening lines where bottles of water, and even holy communion bread and traditional 'paska' bread were taken away and dumped on the ground from those passing through the cordons .

Lesser VIPs and dignitaries were also subjection to humiliation. Mobile telephone communication was jammed.

Patriach Kirill was constantly surrounded by a massive security detail who remained between him and fenced-off well-wishers. Security men constantly scrupulously filmed the crowds with video cameras.

The whole visit is one big 'pokazukha' for the benefit of Yanukovych and Putin who don't give a fig for the ordinary guys in the street. They who can be treated as saps [lokhy] by their rulers...but for how long..